https://kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/information/parents-waiting-for-test-results-from-the-paediatric-assessment-unit-pau
This offers information for parents and carers who are waiting for their child’s test results from the Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU).
Some children will be discharged home from the PAU before their test results become available.
This is because some laboratory tests take a few days, or sometimes weeks, to come back.
The medical team will have assessed your child as safe to go home while waiting for these results.
The length of time it takes depends on the type of test. Some tests take only a few hours, and most of these children wait to receive the results before going home.
Cultures take 48 to 72 hours. (A culture is a test that looks for germs which cause infection. Common cultures are blood, urine or throat swabs).
Some complex tests can take weeks or months to return results.
The doctor or nurse who discharges your child will tell you what to expect, depending on the test.
If the results come back within a week, a hospital doctor will call you with results.
If the results take more than a week to come back, we will either:
Before you take your child home from the hospital, make sure we have the correct contact details for you.
Let us know if you will need an interpreter when we call you with your child’s results.
| If you have not heard about results expected back within a week |  Call Dolphin Ward (020 8934 2328). The ward will take your details and arrange for a doctor to call you. |
| If you have not heard about results expected to take longer than a week | Call our admin team (020 8934 6403). They will get in touch with your child’s consultant and they will let you know the results as soon as they can. |
The PAU cannot give medical advice over the phone.
If you are worried about your child, contact your GP or call NHS 111, or go to your nearest Emergency Department (A&E).
| Dolphin Ward | 020 8934 2328 |
| Paediatric Assessment Unit Admin Team | 020 8934 6403 |
| Translate | Please speak to a member of staff before or during your visit to the hospital if you require translation. |
| Accessibility | Please contact the Patient Experience Team on 020 8934 3850 if you need this information in a different format. For information accessibility please visit Kingston Hospital AccessAble www.accessable.co.uk/kingston-hospital-nhs-foundation-trust |
| Support services
www.kingstonhospital.nhs.uk Switchboard 020 8546 7711 |
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Please speak to a member of staff before or during your visit to the hospital if you require translation support to access Patient Information. Please ring the phone number on your appointment letter, if you have one.
Please contact the Patient Experience Team on 020 893 3850 if you need this information in a different format.
For detailed information on accessibility at Kingston Hospital visit Kingston Hospital AccessAble (https://www.accessable.co.uk/kingston-hospital-nhs-foundation-trust).
Visit the hospital website, ask a member of staff, or ring us for details.